Solitaire: The Dodo of Rodrigues Island

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• Contents

About 43 million years ago, a flock of pigeons from a distant island in the northern Indian Ocean parted company and flew off in different directions. Eventually some of these birds ended up on Mauritius and became known as Dodos, while others flew to the tiny island of Rodrigues and became Solitaires. Although the birds shared a common ancestor and had a similar history and fate, the remoteness of Rodrigues sheltered the solitaire from the rest of the world, so that, unlike the Dodo, it is largely unknown even today.

A few eyewitness accounts of this elegant bird were recorded and have survived over time, providing us with detailed information about its appearance and behaviour. This book examines these accounts, alongside various other journals, artists' impressions, rare drawings and scientific research, to paint a comprehensive portrait of the Solitaire.

The story of the Solitaire begins against the backdrop of an idyllic, densely forested and uninhabited island. Many thousands of years later, man's arrival on the island and its ensuing negative impact contributed, within just 100 years, to the Solitaire's extinction.

This unique and beautifully illustrated book allows the reader to go back in time to see hoe the Solitaire lived and died, to trace what happened following its extinction, and to discover how the resulting scientific evidence has enabled a greater understanding of this fascinating bird.